Page 3 | GCSEs 2019 - support thread part 2

Bimkom · 05/02/2019 16:00

Well DS has been given his theme (well "word") for Art last Monday and has been doing Art to the exclusion of most else for a week. then meltdown on Sunday night because we suggested he do something else, very reluctantly did some French, and panicked because he was supposed to have a French essay in on Monday, then had a temper tantrum because the picture he was trying to draw didn't look right, and he had to do five pieces of work this week. Tried to remonstrate that five was not necessary, and maybe I should contact his art teacher to check that five pieces was absolutely required, and was told that if I contacted his art teacher, he would do ten pieces this week (this is when he was too exhausted to do one properly). Eventually said he would go to bed and set his alarm for five am so he could do more art.
Yesterday morning I came in to wake him at his normal time and he was still asleep - so I don't know whether he slept through his five am alarm or he never set it!
Slightly calmed down yesterday evening, but said that the five pieces this week was actually a chart set by the art department. It is not supposed to be five pieces every week until the exam, just this week, and next week they are supposed to do something else.

But how is he going to be able to keep up with any other subject if he is doing the equivalent of five art pieces a week? And how can it be really necessary.
At least I have discovered that the Art exam is on the 1st and 2nd of April (April fools anyone?), but I don't think it is smart to abandon revising until then!

Oh dear.

Destiel · 05/02/2019 16:36

Most of the year 11s - and some teachers! - at ds1s school are now down with a bug/s.

Not surprising. They are all exhausted.

Ds1 was I'll on Saturday but seems better now.

I'm letting him sleep in the mornings and driving him to scho as hes so tired.

Bimkom · 05/02/2019 17:10

Most of the Year 8s are down with bugs (including DD, who has been home yesterday and today with a temperature of over 38). Hasn't spread to the Year 11s yet, I don't think, but I am sure they are going to be next. DS will probably insist on taking paracetamol and going in!

Heidinotinthehills · 05/02/2019 17:11

Dd is also coming down with something and apparently school is very empty at the moment.
How much Are your dc revisiting? Dd still hasn’t really started and I don’t know whether to worry

myrtleWilson · 05/02/2019 17:35

Binkom oh that all sounds very stressful but I'm glad he either slept through his alarm or didn't set it - in the long run the better option I think.

Destiel and Heidi sorry to hear bugs are a plenty. Not so much a bug here but DD has (it appears) strained her intercostal muscles (possibly through dancing in her room) and is yelping a lot. Poor thing is in so much pain but can't really do much without moving her torso. Pain killers and a hot water bottle have been deployed.

Destiel · 05/02/2019 17:38

Oh, that's very painful!

(Adult whooping cough some years ago...I pulled every muscle between my ribs!)

Soursprout · 05/02/2019 20:07

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Soursprout · 05/02/2019 20:27

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Original poster

AtiaoftheJulii · 05/02/2019 20:48

If he had done sod all in yr 10 then I could understand a mad panic but if the teachers have paced the course well, there should be no need for this stress.

It's the exam prep though, not the portfolio. So it is a fixed time period between getting "the word" and doing the exam, nothing to do with how much you've done previously.

Dd also has a weekly to do list. I'd imagine though that 5 pieces doesn't mean 5 full on pictures? It'll be 5 smallish still lifes or 5 artist responses or something similar - the first week is very much the exploration week, deciding what aspect of your theme you're going for, playing with ideas. Hope he calms down this week, tough to live with!

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marmiteloversunite · 05/02/2019 21:12

DD did her Drama, two duologues, tonight in front of the external examiner so that is something else to tick off. I went to watch and they all pulled it together and did very well. Examiner was great, very smiley and encouraging. She had just got to finish the portfolio now before the written exam.

Original poster

AtiaoftheJulii · 05/02/2019 21:33

Oh brilliant, nice it's done so early!

I've watched a lot of drama exam performances - dd1 did GCSE and AS, ds did GCSE (he did 4 performances!), and I've been to see some friends of theirs too. Will be feeling quite nostalgic when I go to dd3's last one next month!

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marmiteloversunite · 05/02/2019 21:51

I was a bit sad as that will be her last drama performance at school. Seems odd that I have been watching her perform since the age of four and now that's the end.

Original poster

AtiaoftheJulii · 05/02/2019 22:09

Does she do any out of school drama that she might carry on?

I'm hoping that dd might get back to her youth drama group after GCSEs.

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Soursprout · 05/02/2019 22:58

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Destiel · 06/02/2019 07:17

Ds1 breaks up next Friday for half term and I'm assuming will be revising for most of it.

Soursprout · 06/02/2019 09:27

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bfmhgmum · 06/02/2019 09:45

hi

do all your dc have another set of mocks inFeb/ easter or are they revising for the main ones?
DD has had a rough 2 weeks with her first ever migraine which really knocked her for six. It started with light sensitivity and got worse with dizzy spells and pain, nothing seemed to help but after 10 days it settled. she was brave and tried to carry on but it was not easy . No idea why it happened as she's not dressed or worried was couple of days before period. hoping it doesn't happen again.

She has now put her A level options in for school also seems so grown up also seems quite high workload for next year with 4 levels and EPQ as standard. She has chosen Maths, chemistry , biology and history and is hoping to study medicine.

Have all your dc decided on post GCSE steps?

Bimkom · 06/02/2019 09:49

Yes, it is because there is 40% riding on this Art exam plus preparatory work, and it starts from when he was given the "word" - ie Monday a week ago.
Indeed they did spend the first week as AtiaoftheJulii says exploring (mind maps, although a couple of pictures), and but this week was supposed to be five pieces (not artist responses). He seems to be doing them in pencil, not painting or anything, but still, quite substantial. Several of them have been portraits (but I suspect that is not required, only because DS has, no doubt, decided to do something extra complicated). Last week he did a self portrait of himself drawing/painting (ie only see the back of the head as the head is down working), this week he was trying to do a front self portrait, and another portrait. Are some still works (again of objects).
What board is your DD with AtiaoftheJulii? DS is with Edexcel.

Bimkom · 06/02/2019 09:58

Thank goodness no February mocks here (or maybe one geography one, that didn't get given in December). Art just too all consuming.

bfmhgmum DS is thinking about a similarly high workload if he gets into the dreaded sixth form (but even there, this is considered high, they usually suggest either 4 A levels or 3 and an EPQ, not both). He is currently planning on Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and now also thinking about medicine (it was architecture last year, so we shall see, I think Art might have put him off architecture). I suppose we might see each other on the medicine support threads in a few years time, if this ambition continues. Maths/Science have always been his best subjects, so I suspect he will do them in any event (no way would he do A level art, but he still seems obsessed with getting a good grade in Art, although he keeps insisting this is the minimum he needs to do).

Destiel · 06/02/2019 10:22

No more mocks thank God, but its continuous assessment so he has mini tests/exams every half term.

bfmhgmum · 06/02/2019 14:16

At dd’s school it’s a standard 4 a levels with compulsory EPQ as well as games or volunteering

Heidinotinthehills · 06/02/2019 17:18

Wow bfmhgmum must be a very academic school. Dd’s school allows 3 + 1 As or an Epq- some students are occassionally allowed to carry the As onto A level if they do very well. Dd also wants to do medicine and has picked biology, chemistry maths and is currently umming and ahming about either EPQ or Spanish AS

pointythings · 06/02/2019 17:48

We have more mocks after half term. DD has been diligently revising and attending after school revision, so I'm going to insist she has some downtime as well as study time.

She's settled on her A-levels and is going to do an EPQ - her school only allows 4 A-levels if there is a maths/further maths combo involved.

Original poster

AtiaoftheJulii · 06/02/2019 18:08

What board is your DD with AtiaoftheJulii? DS is with Edexcel.

OCR apparently.

Her school say 3 A levels too, 4 with further maths. They also offer a few subjects as AS for enrichment, or the EPQ.

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WeAreGerbil · 06/02/2019 20:47

I don't understand the point of making them do 4 A levels, surely this disadvantages them for uni where admissions will only look at 3, so they're spending time studying for the 4th and not on getting the best grades possible for the 3. That was what DD decided anyway about whether or not to take a 4th.

We have mocks throughout March. On the one hand it seems like overkill (they had mocks for half of their subjects in Oct and the other half in Jan) but on the other is a good focus for revision now.